In today’s library, you often need to serve patrons and students who do not speak English. This can be intimidating—how do you communicate? How do you avoid the risk of creating cultural misunderstandings?

In this workshop, Cate Carlyle, a librarian who has devoted her career to working with non-English speaking and ESL library users, will provide you with the strategies, resources and best practices to help you meet this challenge.

Participants will learn:

how to welcome, serve and retain ESL library users with few or no English skills;

how to use QR codes and smartphones to better serve your ESL users;

how to use the social media platform Pinterest to better serve your ESL users;

how to use nonverbal communication to improve interactions and navigate difficult interactions.

About the Instructor

Cate Carlyle is the librarian and instructional resource assistant for the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Centre Library at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A former elementary school teacher/librarian, Carlyle has also worked in public libraries and is a member of the Atlantic Provinces Library Association’s Advocacy Group, which promotes the value of all libraries. She earned her Master of Library and Information Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Windsor.

Registration for this ALA Editions Workshop is available on the ALA Store. You can purchase registration at both individual and group rates.

ALA Editions Workshops are designed to give you and your staff the opportunity to participate in a hands‐on learning experience that will help you make the best technology decisions for your library.

ALA Editions publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5418 or editionscoursehelp@ala.org.